Timeline: 9 days
Team: Magda Kleczka and Andreja Milosevic
Target Device: iOS Native App
The Problem
For many people, working long hours without taking sufficient breaks is a common issue. This can lead to burnout, reduced productivity, and even health issues.
With the rise of remote work, many people also spend more time sitting in front of a computer without the usual physical cues that might prompt them to take a break.
As we become increasingly sedentary due to our jobs and technology usage, it’s important to take breaks and move around to avoid the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle. This is where the BreakTaker app comes in.
Research
We kicked things off by conducting a survey and gathering opinions from 78 people. More than a half of them said they work from home, while more than a third said that don't really have a habit of taking short breaks during a workday.
But we weren't done there! We wanted to dig deeper and understand the struggles that users face when it comes to taking breaks. We discovered that some may have trouble remembering to take a breather, while others are at a loss for what to do during their breaks. And let's not forget about the diverse preferences when it comes to breaks - some prefer a quick stretch while others crave a stroll. That's why we decided to delve into user interviews, getting up close and personal with 5 participants between the ages of 26 and 34.
We noticed some trends in our interview responses. Many people don't have a break-taking habit - they are overwhelmed with work and they started noticing the negative effects on their health and well-being, such as discomfort and pain, because of prolonged sitting when working.
Gathering all this data, helped us create our User Persona: Occupied Olivia. She is a Marketing Specialist in her 30s coming from sunny Madrid, Spain. She is hard-working and ambitious but often forgets about the importance of having multiple short breaks throughout her workday.
On her user journey map, we identified pain points where we asked ourselves the following:
How might we make Olivia more conscious about what her body needs?
How might we motivate Olivia to make regular short breaks?
How might we inspire Olivia to do something beneficial for her body?
Now, this is where things really got exciting! During the Ideation part of the Design Thinking process, we used the Crazy 8s method to come up with as many different ideas as possible. We needed to refine our ideas and figure out what really mattered most. The MoSCoW method helped us to sift through our long list of features, focus on the most critical elements first, and to make informed decisions about what to prioritize and what to leave out.
As this was only a two-week project, Magda and I decided to include features that would be the most important for our app such as an activity library, profile personalization with setting your own schedule, and the possibility of having a colleague or a friend choose an activity for you to include the community aspect of our app.
Testing is Key
After creating a low-fi prototype, we performed concept testing. In the image below you can see some of the valuable feedback received. People found the welcome screen to be a bit confusing and were unsure what each button represents. Therefore, we added explanatory screens to inform future users about the app's features. They were also confused about some names and sections which we later improved by separating the screens and deleting unnecessary details.
The usability testing showed that overall, users found the BreakTaker app to be easy to use and creative at reminding them to take breaks throughout the day. They appreciated the app’s flexibility and customization options, as well as its simple and unobtrusive design.
UI Design
Magda and I wanted to create an app that captured the essence of what we were all about. We wanted something playful, active, mindful, sociable, and colorful! It was crucial that we found a way to bring all of these elements together cohesively. That's why we decided to match the app's colors to our existing illustrations, creating a vibrant and consistent look that would energize and motivate users.
A user opens the app and is welcomed by three introductory screens where they can learn more about setting a goal, activities, and the community. The user can set the work schedule along with break duration and break frequency. Break activities are split into several categories: physical, mindful, playful, etc.
By tapping on each activity, a pop-up window appears with detailed information about the break activity. The user can also select favorite or relevant activities by tapping on the heart icon in the top right corner. That way, the user builds their own library of activities so that the app will only suggest those in the future. This way we avoided the possibility of the app suggesting activities that users wouldn’t be able to perform.
We tried to bring people together, even when working remotely. Therefore, we implemented the community aspect in our app. Our idea was that users can connect with their friends and colleagues who can also decide what break activity they can perform during that day. Users also have the possibility of choosing the activities for themselves or letting the app decide for them.
Below you can see the prototype video of the Breaktaker app.
My other projects
Amazon App Redesign
3-day UI Challenge
Cresory eLearning Platform
UX/UI improvement of the eLearning platform
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